By: Elder L. Todd Budge
I recently listened to the General conference talk Consistent and Resilient Trust by Elder L. Todd Budge from the October 2019 General Conference. This talk effectively communicates a message of faith, resilience, and finding joy in challenging circumstances through trust in God. The use of personal anecdotes and stories, metaphors, and scriptural references enhance the overall impact of the message and allow him to connect with his audience.
Elder Budge begins by sharing a story about his son Dan. Dan got very sick on his mission and had to be hospitalized, his parents assumed that because of this trial Dan would be discouraged. The opposite was true, in an email to his parents Dan wrote "Even as I lay in the emergency room, I felt peace. I have never been so consistently and resiliently happy in my life.” I think that this story does a great job connecting to u the audience using pathos and also teaches the powerful lesson behind trusting in God.
The happiness he described was not simply pleasure or an elevated mood but a peace and joy that come when we surrender ourselves to God and put our trust in Him in all things. This message can be carried with us as we go about our day to day lives, we live in perilous times when true peace can only be found through our own personal relationship with God.
Elder Budge also employs the use of metaphors to make his talk even more effective, The metaphor of the Jaredites' journey to the promised land as an analogy for life's journey. This metaphor is used to illustrate the idea of trusting in God's plan even when faced with uncertainty.
He then shares the story of his grandson Abe, "Abe was afraid to ride one of the carousel animals that move up and down. He preferred one that didn’t move. His grandmother finally persuaded him that it would be safe, so, trusting her, he got aboard. He then said with a big smile, “I don’t feel safe, but I am safe.”"
I think this is how the Jaredites felt. This talk teaches us that trusting God may not always feel safe at first, but joy follows. I also love the generally uplifting and optimistic tone of this talk, which reflects the overall theme of finding joy in adversity through trust in a higher power. Elder Budge conveys emotion and connects to the audience through anecdotes like Abe's experience on the carousel, these personal stories allow the audience to relate to his message on a personal level.
He concludes with, "I witness that Jesus is the Christ. He is the source of all joy. His grace is sufficient, and He is mighty to save. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. He will not let us perish." Overall I think this is such an uplifting and beautiful talk that shares a hopeful message. Elder Budge does a great job employing many different communication concepts that add to his overall message and allow for that personal connection with his audience.
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